Power plant



NOV. 24, 1931. i 5, WOODARD 1,833,146

' POWER PLANT Filed Sept. 2, 1950 2 Sheets-Shem l g. INVENTOR Si/025E Woadard wmvzzss ATTORNEYS Patented Nova24i, 1931 UNITEDI' STATES;

mm9m sjsIL s-Ii woonARn, on' vuw onxiv. V j a; v

QW R HAN Application filed Septeinber 2, 1930." Serial No. 479,225.

My invention relates to power plants, more particularly to" hydro power plants. which must operate at widely varying! effective heads, due to seasonal water supplies and con: sequent variation in depth of tail water,

which in many cases, is subject. toconsiderable rise during flood flows, and has for-its object the provision of apparatus of the char- A acter designated whichshall be efiec'tive to 10 deliver a substantially constant power out-- put at such varyingheads,inaking use ofthe excess of water available during times of; re-

V g g Y l efieetive head is,.- say, one :halfthat "during duced head. i I i v A'further object of myinvention is to pro.- vide'a hydrojpower plant in which there is a varying elfective head, which shall include two or more turbines, together withmeans for effecting operation-of the turbines under substantially constant speed, constant -head conditions. i 1, 9

A still :t'urther'object of my invention is to provide a hydro-electric power plant operating under condition of variable, seasonal, ef-

'fective head and ineludinglconstant speedi power units, which shallgbe efiective to deliver a substantially constantp'ower output at all seasons.

It is well known in the art to which my in-. vention relates, the speed of a hydraulic tur- 39 bine varies as l l.

i v V j2gH f for best efficiency and power output; 9 representing the acce'leration'due to gravity, and

H the head under which the turbine is'operating. For constant speed and variable head, the power output varies substantially as H Inasmuch as present day operationof interconnected hydro-electricpower plants necessitates constant speed turbines, itcan readily be seen that a turbine designed for a given;

power output at an averagehead and a corresponding speed'would deliver little or'no power where the head'is materially reduced,

4 due to high tail water or otherwise." It will furthermore be seen that if a turbine is to :i V operate at best efficiency and power output, theideal condition of operation is with a conv-v ifa stanthead. i V

' In accordance with my invention I provide W'Vhere two turbines" are employed, each is tialiy half the eli'ectiveihead. I

with respect to water flow and both-operate to dischargethrough awater seal. s t

finwhich g 'lfig, 1 is a cross sectional view of my im- ,provedpower-plant;

two-or more turbines which,tfor;econ'omy of L construct on are preferably connectedtothe same shalt, and arrange jtnese turbines at difterentlevels with respect to thehead water.

preferably designed'to operate at its maxi- 5 mum efficiency at half the effective head in j seasons of low tailwat-er' and-are d1sposed at levels sothat, whenrun in series with rej spect to water flow, eachoperatesiat substan- Uuring seasonsof high tai-liwater ,whenthe low tail water, the turbinesare run in parallel t. 7 05' atthe totalgefiectiveahead.l)ur1ng;seasons when the eii'ectlve'head isbetween'the ex}, treme limitsv mentioned, the turbines may 9' be operated either a in series'or' in, parallel,

regu ating the how of water l by the means hereinafter disclosed, whereby there is mamtained a substantially constant powervoutput during all seasons; g a lniorder to bring about theabove outlined operation or my improved powerv plant I I 'provideva draft tubetor-the upper turbine 1 leading to the" intake-of the lower. turbinefl Above the lower turbine, l interposeab'aflie wal lfand oppositethefbafiie wall 1 provide a tall gate :tor thevupper turbine. Valves'are disposed in the passages defined bytlie bafiie :wa-il "whereby water discharged from; the upper turbine may be diverted :directly to the tall water, or the upper tailgate niay be closed and the valves, opened I to pass the water through the lower turbine.- Aseparatehead gate and altail gate is provided for the lower turbine whereby it inay be supplied directly from the, head water wlienevei-it is'g desired to operate the turbines i r parallel, The tail gates, in operation, may beemployed as throttle valves and both turbines are. arranged A power plant embodying features inventionf is illustrated in the accompanying [drawings fo'rmi g a part of this, application,

Fig. 2-is a sectional view taken along the line 11-11 of Fig. 1; and I Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a mechanism whichmay be employed in operating the valves, removed from the turbine setting.

Referrlng to .thedrawingsfor better undera standing of my invention l show an upper hydraulic turbine 10' and a lower hydraulic...

turbine 11 connected to a con n on shaft 12 and driving an electric generator 18. W aer for driving the upper turbine 10 is suppl ed. through a conduit 14 and conventional wicket gates 15 from a head gatelficommunicating with the headwater, the head gate 16 being 'oper'ated by -a'ny: suitable means-such. as a lyj draulic cylinder lT-i 1 "A lower conduit 18; ay supply waten to the lowerturbine 1 1 from. the head water,

the supplym'fj waterthrough: this. conduit being controlled by a'hea'digate195 com municating wit-h' the head water; which may be operated by ahydraulic-cylinder 21'.

The upper turbine: lO discharges; down.-

wardly: through; a draft tube 22 towarcbthe lower ;turbine -1 1=.- -Interposed;in.the draft tube 22 -is.=a bafile.wall;23 extending across the draft tube 221 as-may be seenin fEig; 2. The

through-suitable wicketgates 2.8.1 'LA: conical leading to atailgate26. .for the-upper turbine and a. lower passage 27 in. which is. located the lower...tur'binel 1 1,. water. flowing. thereto -casting 29 mounted. centrally;- of. the baflile wall 23-:provides a. crown for. diverting the water fromthe; turbineelO 1 around .the baffle wall 23: It will benoted also that the. ends 1 of the baflie wall are curved. to providea around.

smooth flovwfor. the-water. as -itpassles there- 1 Disposedjn recesses :30c'provided par-ti,-

" tion walls 32 in/che passage Q lare a plurality Jlhile'; numerous mechanismsiifor; operating the-valves 31:wi-ll suggest .themselvestejhQse I ski lledi in,the. art, thQgfOllOWi-Ilg vis aetypical' means which; mayher employed. .Each. of

iprovided; witha; Warm .gear. ill-he .Whi'm g ar e;f r.ea h.-p ir. Qtt hesar pro id d 5.39;:iare3 closed .1 and 1 the .tail gate 26.; opened, the tailgate 26 being-operated by, means 05E 2a hydrauliccylinder 43. The lower turbine '11 is!provided"withaseparate. tailgate. 4 leperated means of a hydraulic,scyLinder -AG.

c :ly, and a greater head. :ofii valves -al, as. may. best: be seeniin E1g. '2.

In order that all discharge shall be under a seal,.I provide a sealing wall 47 extending outwardly and downwardly in front of the tailgate 26.

- From the foregoing description, the oper;

ation of apparatus made in accordance with my invention will be readily understood.

Theneverit isdesired'to' operate the tl lrbines 10.and.ll in series, the head gate 16 is opened while the head gate 19 isclosed. The tail gate'26is closedandthe tail gate 44 is opened.

A1$Qthe valves 31- and 39 are opened. The turbines are operated in the inanner'justdescribeddurijng seasons of low tail Water and relatively high head. The water passing through-the upper turhine lQtpasses through thezvalvesi 31 and around'the. bafiie, wall. 23,

through thevalves 39and throughathe turbine 111130 .be discharged. through. the taiL gateflaci the efi'ective headis-low, the headgates 16 and 19 are bothopenediand the valvesfilaandlgii are-closed; The tail'gatesQG: andA lgarehoth openedso that water passes through theroom duits 14 and? 18, throughthe turbines llland i 11? in parallel; being discharged through the tail gates: 26; and 44; 7' Any throttling .neces tail;gatesQGandAAg It -will 1 be;seenthati my;.-1nventi.0n;provides a .means wh erebythepower output Gila: plant maintained substantially; constant; in: lo alie ties: subjectto ,varying seasonal, Water flQW, and wherein the effective lieadyvaries-r. inversely. with. the water; flow. 5 It". also, pro- 'VldGSgfl 1 means whereby. inherently lQWy head turbines, may beelnployed in-locations; where the effective.- head; varies.. between; that-,at

which such a turbineoperates mosteifieientsary may be accomplished by means 01515116 v constructed in accordance therewith may be turbines, suchforexamplefas wplfopellerrtype invention ass also flames very high I -headinstallation, wheretheshead iS-iOQ great for the practical use of a single-"turbines, -In such installations, -a number of turbines may be arranged in accordance with my invention to; operatein series in onepower planhrather ,than in aiplurality of plant's-disposed atadifer ti ev lst The; turbin sa f f gpewer' pl nt ar anged in ractically: aconstante relation of peripheral velocity of runners to the spouting velocity plant a. .whole and greatly: reduces pitting j (ithe unners. I

While-5L have inventionin lbut accordance Withamy inventi n; perate. a

ceptible of various changes and modifications,

witheutj departingfrom .the;j spirit thereo'f,

--in;;. he 1.art1 that i .i sv 'niotisot limited, but sus- During. seasons ofi highstailt water,'jwhen 1. i

of the water and jaccordin gly; operate closely 53320 appr x mating; idea onditionsflg summ- -more my invention;provides a,nlea11.s tora ly: mp ing regul tion of the, ppm

and I'desire, therefore, that only such '1imiwater from both turbines, and 'valvemeans tations shall be placed thereupon as areimfor diverting the water passing from the first posed by the prior art or as are specifically turbine through the second turbine.

set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is: 1. In a power plant, a pair of turbines disposed at diflerent levels with respect to the.

motive fluid head, and means for. selectively passing motive fluid through said turbines in parallel and in series. v

2. In a power plant, a turbine disposed at a relatively high level with respect to the In testimony'whereof I aifix my signature. V p p SILAS H. WOODARD.

motive fluid head, conduit means for conveying motive fluid to'the said turbine, a draft tube for the turbine, a second turbine disposed at a relatively lower level than the first mentioned turbine, a tail gate for the upper V turbine, a separate draft tube and tail gate for the lower turbine, separate head ates for the turbines, and valve means assoclated with the draft tube of the upper turbine-for selectively passing the motive fluid dis-- charged from the upper turbine through the :lower turbine and through the upper tail the two turbines, a draft tube for the upper turbine extending downwardly toward the lower turbine, a baflie wall interposed in the draft tube and defining passages leading to the lowerturbine and to the tail gate for the upper turbine, and valve means associated with the baflie wall for selectively controlling the flow of motive fluid throughth'e turbines and through the tail gates.

4. In a power plant a pair of turbines connected to a common vertical shaft and disposed at different levels with respect to the head water, separate head gates for the two turbines, a draft tube for the upper turbine extending downwardly toward the lower turbine, a bafll-e wall interposed in the draft tube above the lower turbine, valve means for closing off the flow of motive fluid from the its 1 the upper turbine disposed substantially I I level with the bafile wall, and a separate tail gate for the lower turbine.

5. In a power plant' a first and a second turbine, a draft tube leading from the first turbine to the second, separate'head gates for the turbines, a tail gate. for thefirst turbine communicating with the draft tube, a

separate draft tube and tail gate for the second turbine, and valve means for diverting water from the first mentioned draft gate means for controlling the discharge of 

